vaughan



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

( Model.)-

F. VAUGHAN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

3 O0 .00 1 5 6 D H J d e t H e t. a P

INES UNITED STATES -PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK VAUGHAN, OF ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH CAROLINA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,053, dated June 5, 1883.

Applicationfiled January 30, 1883. (No model.)

To allwhom it may concerfi:

Be it known that I,.FRANK'VAUGHAN, of

Elizabeth City, in the county of Pasquot-ank and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ad just-able Sectional Fire-Escapes; and I do here- My invention has for its object to provide an improved fire-escape ladder by superposing ladders one above another toany desired height, and in furnishing means for securing each ladder to the other, when they are held in said superposed manner, in such position as to permit persons to pass between them and to this end it consists in providing the side extensions of the ladder with side guards to prevent persons from falling off laterally; also, in providing the back of the ladders for their whole length with net-work to prevent falling through, the ladders being elevated one above the other in such manner that the top of each is made to rest beneath and be secured to a window of each story of a house, the bottom of the ladders inclining out at a sufficient angle to allow easy descent'thereof and not to interfere with persons getting out of a window from one story by those descending from a story above. Each ladder has an independent hang ing support, and by the means which joins one ladder to the other to form a continuous height an independent base-support is also obtained for each ladder, each independent section of the ladder bearing its own weight. The ladders are also provided with lateral platforms secured to the side extensions to enable a per son to stand thereon to assist in raisi 'ig the ladders up.

- In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a front.

Referring more particularly thereto, A is a house, and B the ladder proper. The side extensions of the ladder, at the top ends, have secured thereon hooked-shaped or grapple irons affor hooking onto the sill of a window. The extensions 1) are provided with-safety-guards 0, extending their whole length, consisting of i an arrangement of net-work arranged thereon by means of long iron rods (1, working on transverse rods 6, said rods being termed ,transverse in that they extend transversely across the ladder, but are bent to form upright portions e. The ends of the rods are fastened to the top sides of the extensions 1) in a hinge-like manner, the object being that-when the ladder is not in use the rods 6 can be pushed forward in the slots f and the side guardsfolded up, the rods (Z resting on and adjacent to the sides of the ladder, and when the ladders are to be used the side guards can readily be raised up by drawing up the rods cby the use of the transverse portion 6, the rods being fastened to the side extensions in a hinge-like manner and provided with a projection for retaining the guard-rods when up.

g are curved-shaped irons provided at the.

be made to embrace the side extensions, and

gives to each superposed ladder a base-support. ,Of course these irons are unnecessary on the bottom ladder. Persons co ningdown this, fire-escape can easily step fromoneladder to" the other, the distance betweenibeingsufficient to enable a person to pass out at one window while others are coming down from the 7 windows above, thus forming a continuous es'capedadder. Across the back sides of the ladders is secured a strong net-work, h; to prevent persons descending from falling through:

Near the lowerround of the ladder, between the bag and the round, we leave a holefor IOO persons to pass through. The sides of the ladder are formed like a double banister, having light trusses i alternating between the two for strengthening the same; or they may be made in any suitable form. The ends of the bottom ladder are made somewhat pointed to bite into the ground.

At E E are shown side platforms, which may be used on any or all of the ladders for the purpose of enabling one to stand thereon to assist persons in their descent, it being made of strong wire net-work supported from beneath by a brace, or not, and designed to fold down to the sides of the ladder. The steps of the ladders incline somewhat down to facilitate rapid descent in one continuous stream from all the windows by one of my continuous escape-ladders without difficulty. Vomen and .children escaping by ladders often lose their grip and fall, either sidewise through the ladder or straight to the ground. \Vith my improved ladder such accidents are provided against. The safety appearance of my ladder lends courage to nervous persons, and thus better enables them to act instantaneously for their escape.

It is obvious that the ladder may be made of any suitable material, lightness, strength, compactness, and facility of handling being the primary object. It will be further seen that the ladder, when not in use, occupies no greater space than the ordinary ladder, the side guards fol ding longitudinally on the frame entirely out of the way. The sections of the ladder are interchangeable, and of course may be adjusted to any height of story.

It may be observed that the base-supports may be socketed or fastened by other means than by being bifurcated; or the sections of ladders may be kept apart by other means than those shown, as my iiwention ismainly in superposing sections of ladder one upon the other, so that persons may pass from one to the other, and each to be independent of the other, and providing safety-guards therefor, and therefore I do not desire to be confined to the details of construction shown.

The operation is as follows: The ladderescape is first hooked to the sill of the window, the hooks or grapple-irons being fastened some distance from the ends of the ladby which the ordinaryspring is prevented.-

These stays or supports are bifurcated at their lower ends to straddle the frame of the ladder to prevent lateral movement, and by their position persons descending may use them for hand-rails while passing from one ladder or section to the other, they holding the ladder sufficiently apart to permit persons a passing under and between them. All the sections of the ladder except the bottom are provided with a bag or stop, K, for the purpose of arresting the fall of persons, should they accidentally slip or lose their hold 011 the ladder. This bag may be of the ordinary net-work. Means of escape is thus provided for all the stories of the house from the same ladder and at the same time without interference of one section with the other, and escape thusrendered comparatively easy.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1s 1. A ladder for fire-Escapes, having a floor of network or other suitable material, and side guards made movable, so as to be placed in position when the ladder is in use, and

adapted to be folded down when not in use, as described.

2. A fireescape ladder provided with fastening-hooks or grapple-irons, the said hooks being fastened to the ladder, so as to make the ends project well up into the window, in combination with the coneaved and forked irons, said irons secured to near the bottom of one ladder, and adapted to embrace the sides of the ladder beneath, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in an escape-ladder, of two or more sections, each being adapted to be hooked to the window of a house at one end, the other end having raised supports for resting 011 its next adjacent section, by which passages from the windows are formed, and from one section of the ladder to the other, as described.

4. An escape-ladder consisting of a series of sections, making a continuous ladder when in position, each section being superposed one above the other, and made interchangeable and detachable, said sections being provided with arresting-bags for the purpose of safety, as described.

5. The combination, with a fire-escape ladder, of the series of sections. superposed one above the other, each having independent sustaining-hooks and bifurcated base-supports, said supports serving the double purpose of stiffening the frame ofthe ladder and holding it in position on its next adjacent section, and

being so curved or formed as to permit passage I between the sections, as described.

6. The combination, in a fire-escape ladder, of the series of sections, each section having independent sustaining-hooks and base-sup ports, located as described, of the lateral side steps or platforms, and the arresting safetybags, all adapted for joint operation, for the purposes described and shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK VAUGHAN. \Vitnesses B. F. MoRsELL, EDWARD E. ELLIs. 

